Posts Tagged ‘NFC’

New Android smartphone in Singapore: Samsung GALAXY Note II LTE

Saturday, October 20th, 2012

Samsung has launched the GALAXY Note II LTE in Singapore. The 5.5-inch smartphone/tablet hybrid will be available from end of this week at S$998 (without contract) in Ceramic White or Titan Gray. It will also be available from the three Telcos.

Update (28 March, 2013):

Samsung today announced the launch of the Samsung GALAXY Note II LTE in Amber Brown. It will be available from 30 March 2013 (Saturday) at SGD$968, without line contract. The Amber Brown version of the Samsung GALAXY Note II LTE will be available on 30 March 2013 (Saturday).

The Recommended Retail Price (without line contract) is S$968.

The Samsung GALAXY SIV was launched two weeks ago on 14 March in New York City.

However, that may only hit the shelves in April/May 2013.

 

Update (14 March, 2013):

Samsung GALAXY Note II LTE in Martian Pink will be available in Singapore from 16 March 2013 (Saturday) at S$968, without line contract.Samsung today announced the launch of the Samsung GALAXY Note II LTE in Martian Pink.

It will be available from 16 March 2013 (Saturday) at S$968, without line contract.

And at 7pm today (in Singapore, that will be 7pm tomorrow morning), Samsung will be launching the successor to the GALAXY S III in New York City.

The widely-anticipated Samsung GALAXY S IV will be the first GALAXY smartphone to be launched within the US.

Samsung hopes it will help the company wrest the number one position in the US from Apple’s iPhone, something it has already accomplished outside of the US.

The launch will be live-streamed worldwide.

Samsung GALAXY Note II LTE, complete with S Pen, comes in Ceramic White or Titan Gray.

Samsung GALAXY Note II LTE, complete with S Pen, comes in Ceramic White or Titan Gray.

The Samsung GALAXY Note II LTE has a thinner but bigger body than its predecessor, with a 16:9 screen ratio. It is the latest in Samsung’s GALAXY Note series after the launch of the GALAXY Note 10.1 in August.

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New Android smartphone: LG Optimus G, its new flagship LTE device

Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

LG has launched the Optimus G in Seoul, Korea today. Available in Korea next week and in key global markets in October.

The Optimus G is LG's new flagship smartphone model, with 1.5 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor.

The Optimus G is LG’s new flagship smartphone model, with 1.5 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor.

LG Optimus G
OS Android 4.0.4 (ICS)
Screen 4.7″ WXGA, True HD IPSPlus
Resolution 1280 x 768
Battery 2,100 mAh, sealed
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 1.5 GHz Quad-Core Krait CPUs
Features LTE, NFC
Camera Rear: 13 MP*
Front: 1.3 MP
Video 1080p Full HD
Memory RAM: 2 GB
Int: 32 GB
Ext: Nil
Size /mm 131.9 x 68.9 x 8.45
Weight 145 g
Price TBA
* In certain markets, the phone could be shipped with an 8 MP camera.

The Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) phone has a camera that shoots an amazing 13 megapixels while the sealed battery is rated at 2,100 mAh.

The Optimus G has a 4.7-inch WXGA True HD IPS Plus (1280 x 768 pixels) screen and is only 8.45mm thin.

It is both LTE and NFC capable.

LG’s new flagship smartphone leverages the powerful 1.5 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU to provide speedy performance and a sleek user experience.

LG boasts that the Optimus G goes beyond multi-taking into “cross-tasking” of activities without limitations.

According to LG: whereas multi-tasking applies to running various applications at the same time, cross-tasking applies to complex tasks that can be completed simultaneously without having to compromise other tasks.

Some new UX features that will be included into the Optimus G to showcase its cross-tasking and engaging capabilities are listed below.

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SingTel aims to be leading regional mCommerce hub in 5 years

Thursday, September 13th, 2012

SingTel will provide customers with a  suite of mobile payment and marketing services to make it a leading mobile commerce hub in the Asia Pacific region in five years.

Yuen Kuan Moon, SingTel's CEO Consumer Singapore presenting SingTel's roadmap for mCommerce.

Yuen Kuan Moon, SingTel’s CEO Consumer Singapore presenting SingTel’s roadmap for mCommerce.

First it is opening a remittance centre in Lucky Plaza at Orchard road on next Monday.

“Mobile money is rapidly emerging as an alternative to cash,” said Yuen Kuan Moon, SingTel’s CEO Consumer Singapore.

By the end of 2012, SingTel aims to launch Singapore’s first mobile-to-mobile remittance service

It will also progressively launch a wide range of consumer mobile commerce services throughout the year that will complement its existing Near Field Communications (NFC) contactless mobile payment services.

SingTel mRemit

“With more than 462 million mobile subscribers in 26 countries across Asia and Africa, SingTel is in a unique position to serve as a one-stop mobile commerce hub for the region. We aim to leverage the SingTel Group’s scale to reduce the costs of offering mobile commerce services for our regional associates,” added Yuen.

SingTel’s mobile remittance service, named mRemit, will be the first service of its kind in Singapore to allow consumers to use their mobile phones to remit funds to an overseas recipient’s mobile wallet account.

The sending and receiving parties will both be notified by SMS once transactions have been successfully completed.

Unlike traditional remittance services, SingTel mRemit will enable secure fund transfers at competitive rates, in seconds rather than days, thus allowing recipients to enjoy immediate access to their money.

In addition, exchange rates will be transparent and easily verifiable for customers, saving them time and effort.

From 17 September, over-the-counter remittance will be available via the Lucky Plaza store, with the mobile service launching in the coming months.

At launch, customers will be able to remit funds to the Philippines, in collaboration with GCASH, the mobile commerce service offered by SingTel’s regional associate, Globe Telecom.

Recipients can claim the remitted funds through 6,000 designated locations or 9,000 ATMS across the Philippines.

Alternatively, they can use the funds, via their mobile wallet, to purchase goods and services, top-up prepaid mobile services, pay their credit card and utility bills, renew insurance policies and repay loans.

SingTel plans to leverage its regional scale to extend the service quickly to countries in which the SingTel group affiliates operate, and where remittance services are in high demand.

BlackBerry smartphones first in the world to be certified for MasterCard PayPass

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

BlackBerry Bold 9900 and BlackBerry Curve 9360 are the world’s first SIM-based smartphones to receive the MasterCard PayPass Handset Certification.

Research In Motion, maker of BlackBerry smartphones and the PlayBook tabletThe two smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM) are the first SIM-based NFC (Near Field Communication) smartphones to be certified by MasterCard Worldwide as PayPass-approved devices.

The certification was granted on the basis of the BlackBerry smartphones meeting the functionality, interoperability MasterCard PayPassand security requirements of MasterCard. With this certification, any MasterCard PayPass-issuing bank globally will be able to deploy MasterCard PayPass-enabled accounts to the SIM card of these smartphones.

“MasterCard is proud to be the first to certify these popular BlackBerry smartphones for mobile payments, and offer consumers another simple, easy, safe and convenient way to pay,” said Mung Ki Woo, Group Executive, Mobile at MasterCard Worldwide. “The availability of NFC on popular BlackBerry smartphones is an important milestone for the mobile contactless payments business.”The ecosystem to allow customers to take advantage of the certified BlackBerry smartphones for NFC payments is already growing. France Telecom – Orange is the first operator worldwide to have commercial NFC launches in two countries, UK and France, with trials in several European markets.

France Telecom – Orange believes that mobile NFC has the potential to enable a new revolution in mobile by further connecting people’s mobile digital world with the physical world around them.

In Singapore, I don’t think citizens probably will see NFC payments in place until at least middle of 2012 and beyond.